IQNA

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Human rights organization Amnesty International reiterated its condemnation of the Zionist regime’s practice of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial, based on undisclosed evidence, after the administrative detention sentences of three high-profile prisoners were recently renewed.

Over the past two weeks, Israeli authorities extended the
remand of university professor and intellectual Ahmad Qatamish, Palestinian
circus performer Muhammad Abu Sakha, as well as Palestinian activist and
journalist Hassan Safadi.

Amnesty International released a statement Friday denouncing
the three-month administrative detention order issued against 67-year-old
Qatamish, a "prisoner of conscience,” on June 13, after being held without
charge or trial in Ofer prison since May 14.

The statement described Qatamish as an "outspoken critic of
both Israeli and Palestinian authorities and the Oslo accords,” who has "called
for a fundamental change in the political landscape and strategy of
Palestinians, an end to the divisions between Hamas and the Palestinian
authorities in the West Bank, and has highlighted the Palestinian population’s
discontent with their leadership.”

"Most recently, he has spoken out strongly in support of the
mass Palestinian prisoner hunger strike,” the group said, adding that "Amnesty
International believes that he has been detained solely due to his non-violent
political activities and writing and to deter activism by other Palestinians.”

Qatamish has spent more than eight years under separate
stints of administrative detention, and was most recently released in December
2013.

His wife told Amnesty International that as a result of his
mistreatment and medical neglect in Israeli prisons, he sustained damages to
his inner ear affecting his balance and has had recurring episodes of fainting
and blackouts, Ma’an news agency reported.

Amnesty International called on Israeli authorities "to
ensure Ahmad Qatamish has prompt access to adequate healthcare and medical
treatment, pending his release.”

While Israeli authorities claim the withholding of evidence
during administrative detention, which allows detention for three- to six-month
renewable intervals, is essential for state security concerns, rights groups
have instead claimed that the policy allows Israeli authorities to hold
Palestinians for an indefinite period of time without showing any evidence that
could justify their detentions.

Rights groups say that Israel's administrative detention
policy has also been used as an attempt to disrupt Palestinian political and
social processes, notably targeting Palestinian politicians, activists, and
journalists.

According to rights groups, 6,200 Palestinians were detained
by Israel as of May, 490 of whom were held in administrative detention.